1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surface-mount connectors to be surface-mounted on a printed circuit board or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some surface-mount connectors are attached to a printed circuit board by placing the connection sections of contact terminals and fixing metal members on the corresponding conductor traces and soldering pads of the PCB, respectively, and subjecting them to reflow soldering.
The attaching sections of the fixing metal members are secured to the engaging section of the connector body by press-fitting or the like. This firmly securing method presents the following problem.
FIG. 11 shows a conventional surface-mount connector 10 being surface-mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB)1. The surface-mount connector 10 comprises an insulating connector body 11 and contact terminals 12 provided at a terminal arranging section 11A of the connector body 11. A lock arm 11B is provided at either side of the terminal arranging section 11A to lock a mating connector or printed circuit board. A fixing metal member 13 is provided near the front end of the lock arm 11B. The fixing metal member 13 is secured at one end to the lock arm 11B by press-fit and has at the other end an attaching section 13A to the PCB 1.
Reflow soldering is made under such conditions that the connection sections of the contact terminals 12 and the attaching section 13A of the fixing metal member 13 are put on the corresponding soldering traces. The heat of reflow soldering can deform the mold of the terminal arranging section 11A and the lock arm 11B, and separate the fixing metal member 13 from the PCB 1. Such separation of the fixing metal member 13 is illustrated in FIG. 12. The contact terminals 12 move downwardly owing to the flexure of the mold. When the lock arm 11B is tilted in this way, the fixing metal member 13 secured to the lock arm 11B is lifted up. Consequently, the attaching section 13A of the fixing metal member 13 is separated from the PCB 1 by a distance H, resulting in the poor soldering of the contact terminal 12 and/or the fixing metal member 13 to the PCB 1.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a surface-mount connector capable of solving such a problem as described above.
According to the invention there is provided a surface-mount connector which comprises a connector body having an engaging section; a fixing metal member having an attaching section to a board and a securing section for engagement with the engaging section of the connector body such that when the connector body moves relative to the board, the attaching section is rotatable at the engaging section.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal member is made by stamping and bending a metal sheet such that the securing section has a C-shaped form and the attaching section has a flat plate-like form, and the engaging section has a C-shaped groove for receiving the C-shaped securing section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal is provided with a stopper near the attaching section to prevent inward bend of a lock lever of the connector body.
According to still another embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal member is made by stamping and bending a metal sheet so as to provide the securing section with an opening and the attaching section with a flat plate-like form and the engaging section has a pivot for engagement with the opening to permit rotation of the fixing metal member about the pivot.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal member is made by stamping and bending a metal sheet so as to provide the securing section with a G-shaped form, the attaching section with a flat plate-like form, and the engaging portion has a G-shaped groove for slidably receiving the G-shaped securing section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal member is made from a metal block so as to provide the securing section with a flat plate-like form having a seesaw shaft, the attaching section with a C-shaped form, and the engaging section having a cavity for receiving the securing section for seesaw movement of the fixing metal member.